Our Work.

We’ve done a lot for our clients — and we’re always ready for more. Use the filters below to read short summaries of our work in the field.

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Change Management

Learning And Development

Technology Change

How Change Management Should Be Done

A major healthcare organization was launching a professional services procurement system that would impact all 28 of its suppliers and potentially touch 5,000 employees. They asked Emerson to build communication and training for this important new tool.

A major healthcare organization was launching a professional services procurement system that would impact all 28 of its suppliers and potentially touch 5,000 employees. The new technology would replace outdated, non-integrated systems, and inconsistent, manual processes. They asked Emerson to build communication and training for this important new tool.

The focus of our project was to improve understanding, confidence, and usage, while decreasing user dissatisfaction. We then conducted an executive team workshop to craft a message to describe the vision for employees. We developed a manager toolkit that business leaders could share with their teams, the end users. The toolkit addressed challenges and solutions, where to go for help, and upcoming training.

We also developed three role-based support guides focused on the end-to-end process and interactions needed to successfully transact business. We also conducted train-the-trainer sessions for our client’s training team. Leadership was thrilled with the results.

One executive remarked, “This is how change management should be done.”

A Global Solution

A major internet services provider was growing fast, globally. As a result, there were discrepancies between regional onboarding programs. And they had to fix that, quickly. They asked Emerson for help.

A major internet services provider was growing fast, both organically and through acquisition. They had data centers spread across five continents and 48 markets. As a result, there were discrepancies between regional onboarding programs. And they had to fix that, quickly. Corporate talent management needed to efficiently and effectively onboard more than 2,000 employees in 2018. But they saw this as an opportunity — to use the best-of-the-best onboarding resources and develop a global solution. They asked Emerson for help.

We worked with them to create a global onboarding experience. We conducted interviews with the corporate management team and recent new hires to gather content and insights. Then we built two distinct learning courses, each encompassing 120+ onboarding activities, to be completed by new-hire individual contributors or managers. Each employee had a custom program with nine learning paths.

We also created two Learning Channel portal pages to enable employees to launch and track their own progress to success.

A Hero’s Journey

A professional services asked Emerson to develop an engaging learning program for direct-hire consultants.

One of the world’s biggest professional services firms believes strongly in ongoing learning for its employees. They asked Emerson to develop an engaging learning program for direct-hire consultants. We used a “Hero’s Journey” theme to tie the courses together.

Also, we used concepts like allies/mentors, sharpening weapons, and facing conflicts to teach business skills like strategic networking, data visualization, storytelling, and presentation.

Home Grown Change

When a data management company wanted to create home-grown change agents, they reached out to Emerson for help.

When a data management company wanted to create home-grown change agents, they reached out to Emerson for help. We developed a six-hour instructor-led course to teach employees to be change professionals.

The course included an introduction to a new change management methodology, creation of a change plan, and Emerson’s messaging approach. We partnered with company instructors to deliver the course, which covered methods, tools and overcoming barriers to success. The first conduct prepared seven in-house leaders to carry the course forward.

Innovation and Risk

A major technology company recognized their executives needed greater awareness of and sensitivity to diversity issues to make their multicultural teams more effective.

A major technology company recognized their executives needed greater awareness of and sensitivity to diversity issues to make their multicultural teams more effective. Emerson presented the Broadening the Perspective workshop which helped participants understand diversity and multiculturalism as tools that help companies gain a competitive advantage.

Based on an in-depth cultural assessment, we designed a custom solution that included leadership training, awareness training, and management/team leader training.

The result: innovation and risk-taking behavior – which had diminished due to workforce and environment changes – increased. Company leadership attributed the change to a more affirming and inclusive environment. Comments from participants of the workshop attest to its success: “Exceeded my expectations…. Should be mandatory …for all new hires, middle management and senior executives.” “I now have more consideration for using diversity as a tool instead of just a ‘difference to overcome.’” “My expectations were much lower. I thought it would be a waste of time. I was totally wrong.”

Making Onboarding Meaningful

Emerson designed a consistent onboarding experience that reinforced the company's core values.

A large gas retailer knows that customers who consistently have a good experience remain loyal to the brand, become repeat customers, and act as brand ambassadors. This leads to increased sales.

Emerson designed a consistent, repeatable onboarding experience for sales associates, store managers and district managers that reinforces the company’s core values. Their new company university consists of web pages, on-the-job activity cards and support guides for managers and peer advisors. Participants use individual learning plans, learning checkpoints and knowledge checks to manage their progress.

Making On-boarding Exceptional

A large state government organization discovered an inconsistent on-boarding experience turned enthusiastic new hires into flight risks.

A large state government organization discovered that an inconsistent on-boarding experience turned enthusiastic new hires into flight risks. They asked Emerson to help them create a consistent and easy program that would span large and small groups at any location.

We designed a new curriculum and partnered with internal experts to develop a blended program, incorporating e-learning, instructor-led sessions and self-directed training. Our client launched the new program, ensuring new employees feel welcome and prepared to succeed.

Technology Can Be Tricky

A major clothing retailer introduced hand-held mobile point-of-sale device so associates could meet any customer need, right on the sales floor, but needed help with training employees how to properly use the new tool.

A major clothing retailer is always trying to create a better shopping experience for its customers. They introduced hand-held mobile point-of-sale devices so associates could meet any customer need, right on the sales floor.

Emerson developed an instructor-led solution that was delivered to employees by HQ staff. The program included a video, a graphic-novel-style learner guide, and realistic in-store scenarios for practice with the new tools.

Our solutions connected with their young workforce and the store team was successful from the very first day.

Training a Top-Notch IT Department

A university’s IT department needed to improve how they manage, plan and forecast when partnering with clients and health care subsidiaries. They asked Emerson to help improve their value to the organization.

A major university’s IT department provides technology services to a world-class organization, so there isn’t much room for error. The 360-member team was proud of its outstanding work, but leaders knew IT had to improve how they manage, plan and forecast when partnering with university clients and health care subsidiaries.

They asked Emerson to help improve their value to the organization. We conducted a series of highly facilitated working sessions and collaborated with key stakeholders to reshape the IT division and make sure project management and business acumen complemented their team’s top-notch IT skills.

The result? Twenty-two job models and associated competencies, a training needs analysis for each role and a training development plan. The results were integrated into curriculum planning, recruiting, career progression planning, succession planning, and performance management.

With our help, Emory has met its goal: an IT department worthy of their prestigious institution.

Transforming the Virtual Classroom

A Big 5 professional services firm needed to transform its face-to-face industry conferences to a virtual experience.

In light of economic conditions, a Big 5 professional services firm needed to transform its face-to-face industry conferences to a more cost-effective virtual development experience. The virtual institute aims to equip practitioners to deliver industry insight to clients.

Emerson and the firm created a sustainable, flexible and innovative design that could be used across various industry groups. The design focused on leading-edge learning solutions and tools that will force interactivity and break the mold of “death by PowerPoint” webinars and “click after click” e-learning modules.

The resulting program is a four-week learning experience that accommodates a variety of learning styles by offering synchronous and asynchronous training. It also uses many learning modalities, including virtual classroom sessions, discussion boards, virtual panel discussions, and a client simulation activity. Virtual classroom sessions (one to two hours in length) bring all participants together twice each week in either plenary sessions or in small virtual teams of five to six teammates with the support of a coach.

In-person Learning Programs

Nine years and nearly 400 projects later, Emerson became a trusted partner to one of the Big 4 professional services firms.

After nine years of working together and nearly 400 projects, Emerson has become a trusted partner to one of the Big 4 professional services firms. We’ve created a series of in-person learning programs to support their business objectives.

Emerson built a one-day workshop to standardize a common methodology for delivering data security solutions. We developed a week-long program for new hires with a client simulation broken into three tracks: financial statement and internal controls audit, finance operations and controls transformation, and internal audit transformation activities.

We refreshed an identity and access management workshop and a simulation program teaching basic project management skills to new audit managers. Another one of our favorite projects was building a simulation teaching basic project management skills to new audit managers.

Unlocking Leadership Potential

The leadership of a Big 4 professional services firm knew there were opportunities to be gained through stronger client relationships. They believed if they strengthened key skills in their executives, they could unlock even more success. The firm conceived the Relationship Mastery Program, a skill-building effort for executives (partners, principals, and managing directors), and they brought Emerson in to help.

Together, we landed on four main courses: the Art of Empathy, the Art of Inquiry, the Art of Story, and the Art of Engagement. The Relationship Mastery courses were taught face-to-face at their own company university. We used a variety of methods to reach our learners: video scenarios, games, and interactive sessions. In the end, the results exceeded our client’s expectations. Since 2011, over 13,000 partners and managers have attended Relationship Mastery courses. And that’s just in the U.S. — courses are run out of every major geography: Asia/Pacific, Europe and North.

So far, 33 global executives have participated. We surveyed 2700 employees to find out whether the program was helping them in their client relationships. 94% said they would recommend the courses, and 97% reported that these courses and skills are “essential to my work.”

Flexing Change Management Muscles

A large state government organization was struggling to support its internal clients because the team had few change management skills and tools, and needed a creative solution.

A large state government organization was struggling to support its internal clients because the team had few change management skills and tools. They asked Emerson for a creative solution.

We started with their custom change model (based on John Kotter’s Eight-Step approach) and developed an instructor-led program, incorporating our best practices in change management.

To fit their needs, the course modules were delivered “just in time” – team members learn a concept or tool when they are ready to use it. Knowledge is tested through case studies, where the project team critiques the learner’s outputs so that every step is a learning opportunity.

Easing Into ERP

A major container ship facility faced several challenges during a massive ERP deployment that would impact over 1,000 employees. The already complex project was bookended by tight budgets and accelerated timelines.

In response, Emerson created a “vanilla approach” that eased the client through integrating such a large change. Together, we built a bulletproof business case, reenergized their change team and established a foundation for a successful ERP deployment. Work included creating a viable communication plan, user training program and vendor validation process.

While the organization told us they had “never undertaken a change this large,” it was business as usual at Emerson. Regardless of internal obstacles, we made sure their Oracle ERP implementation was made easy and made possible.

Critical Competencies

One of the U.S. government's largest agencies tackled a daunting problem -- an aging workforce.

One of the U.S. government’s largest agencies tackles the most daunting problems our world has to offer. Yet they weren’t prepared for changes within their own organization. Their aging workforce meant high attrition and skills that would no longer meet the needs of the agency.

They had also adopted a pay-for-performance model. What they needed was a clear set of workforce skills and behaviors that matched their goals.

Emerson teamed with the agency to determine their critical competencies. The competencies formed the foundation for all their human capital processes, leaving the agency strong, agile, and ready to meet the challenges of the future.

Change Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

One of the world’s prominent hospitality brands needed help implementing new and challenging initiatives across their organization.

Leaders at one of the world’s prominent hospitality brands were frustrated as they worked to effectively and consistently implement new initiatives across their organization. Emerson worked with them to refine a new change management methodology, then developed a course to turn HR professionals into high-functioning change managers.

The course fully intertwined the new model and participants’ real-life change initiatives, so they learned as they worked.

The program also included on-the-job coaching, peer support and a SharePoint site which provided articles, tools, and a place to post questions and discuss real-time problems.

Blended Learning

A major professional services firm wanted new business technology analysts to better understand the company they joined.

You don’t become one of the Big 4 without cultivating a strong workforce. Our client, a major professional services firm, believes in the power of professional development, and wanted new business technology analysts to better understand the company they joined.

They asked Emerson to create a blended learning program for new hires. We built nine, 90-minute programs to teach analysts core consulting skills and deepen their knowledge of the consulting technology group’s service lines.

Eventually, we converted these courses into eLearning modules so they could be delivered without an instructor.

Going Beyond the Classroom

A Big 5 professional services firm needed to accelerate the transition of newly hired and promoted consultants into their advisory role: diagnosing, articulating, and solving for client problems.

A Big 5 professional services firm asked Emerson to help develop the HC Business Advisory Program for Senior Consultants, a milestone-based learning program. It was designed to accelerate the transition of newly hired and promoted Human Capital Senior Consultants into their advisory role: diagnosing, articulating, and solving for client problems.

The inaugural program was built around realistic, on-the-job simulations and included participation of company leaders.

Since then, we have worked with the HC learning team to refresh the program based on feedback and develop it into a larger “end-to-end” experience for Senior Consultants; this goes beyond classroom-based learning to applied learning, support networks, etc. for the expected competencies at the SC level.

An Increase in Sales and Customer Service

An international investment bank wanted to better serve their customers by increasing sales performance.

An international investment bank wanted to better serve their customers, employees and shareholders by increasing the performance of their sales organization. They asked Emerson to evaluate their current learning and performance support assets.

We conducted a needs assessment, stakeholder interviews, and an employee-wide survey; they revealed the need for a more robust learning strategy, clear success metrics and virtual learning best practices.

Our solution included a Learning Playbook and a custom version of our Virtual Learning Best Practices material. These materials ensured the bank had the knowledge, skills and abilities to be successful in the future.

A Targeted Learning Experience

A major clothing retailer wanted a way to bring new field employees up to speed quickly and efficiently.

For one of the country’s biggest clothing retailers, dry and traditional has never been the answer. They wanted a way to bring new field employees up to speed quickly and efficiently. Emerson worked with them to create “My Foundation,” a program that builds the right skills so that field leaders, store leaders and sales associates have immediate impact on the job.

The program includes a menu of learning opportunities, covering everything from operations to leadership. New employees get the support from an on-boarding team: a manager, a peer advisor and experts to develop custom learning plans. Learning is self-paced and happens online through self-directed activities, reading and reviewing resources, or on-the-job.

The result is an efficient, targeted learning experience that’s as nimble and fresh as the company itself.